and i need one where you can send it to other people and they can look at it even though they don't have the program!

i have openoffice.org 1.1.2! that program is what i use to format my script with because it's so easy! but i can't send it to people for them to read because for some reason it doesn't work!

i have RoughDraft 3.0! that works on other computers i think. but it's not very nice to look at. hence the word "Rough Draft"

can someone get me a scriptwriting software that looks nice, works on other computers and is free? (when i say nice i mean just not like RoughDraft)

Please make an effort to look over the whole forum before you post. This thread belongs in "Things you are looking for", it's at the very bottom of the forum home page.

Regarding a program that "looks nice, works on other computers and is free": I have no idea, but don't get your hopes up. Most free screenwriting programs are very limited, they're free for a reason.

and i need one where you can send it to other people and they can look at it even though they don't have the program!

i have openoffice.org 1.1.2! that program is what i use to format my script with because it's so easy! but i can't send it to people for them to read because for some reason it doesn't work!

i have RoughDraft 3.0! that works on other computers i think. but it's not very nice to look at. hence the word "Rough Draft"

can someone get me a scriptwriting software that looks nice, works on other computers and is free? (when i say nice i mean just not like RoughDraft)

Alfred,

I know what you're saying about rough draft, but if you have MS Word, you can copy and paste your text from rough draft to it and it not only looks a lot better, but also gives you a page count on your progress.  As far as free stuff out there, I don't really know of any except for RD, so I just use that with the copy/paste function.  Hope this helps.

Just use Microsoft Word and convert it to PDF.  Looks good.

PDF? what the hell r u talkning about? is there a way to make scripts without doing all the carp manually( im  mean like having to line up sluglines, speech names, etc etc)?
PS: YEYE THIS IS MY 70TH POST!!!!!!!

PDF is the standard file format of Adobe Acrobat, and one of the most universal file types in existence today. Most people hav Adobe Acrobat on their computer and it is far easier to exchange than RTF or DOC or FDR or anything else for that matter. You can do free online PDF conversions at http://www.freehtm.com

As for the rest of this: so let me get this straight. You want to write screenplays, but you don't want to learn how  to format it properly? You're complaining about not wanting to do all of it manually? Line up a slugline? You don't line up a slugline; they're left justified! Three tabsets in Word -- that's it. 1", 1.6", and 2.2". Keep an eye on your dialogue width and you've saved yourself a ton of money.

People who want a free screenwriting program make me absolutely crazy. Not only are they wanting to illegally pirate some program that thinks for you, they also want to circumvent an important lesson in screenwriting: the formatting. Screenwriting programs don't do everything. You still need to know the basics and even the advanced stuff for it to know.

I've written so many screenplays on a word processor that I always set up exactly the same way (three tabsets), that the finger movements in writing are automatic. When I write dialogue, I can "feel" how long it needs to be and when I hit that point, I enter-tab and keep going.

Screenwriting is a learned skill just like formatting it in any word processing program in the world is. Personally, being an out of work write with a backup job, I can't afford to spend money on a program to think for me. I think it's a waste of money when I have a brain that allows me to sit down and learn to do it myself.

How do my finished screenplays look typed in Word? Look at any of them. They're linked in my sig. Who cares if you read them for this post. I just want you to see what Word is capable of IF you're willing to take a few minutes to learn how to use it for screenwriting. Consider this: formatting is the EASIEST part of writing a screenplay. If you aren't willing to learn how to format, I have doubts that you are willing to learn dramatic structure, character development, dialogue, high and low concepts, and plot progression -- and that's just a tiny piece of knowing how to write.

I wasn;t being lazy i was just surprised- Id never heard of a prgaram that does the formatting for you..ive done it by hand for a long time...

Screenwriting has its roots in playwriting. In other words, much of the format is very old. There’s a reason why it’s still used despite filmmaking advancements. It works.

That said, I think all these screenwriting programs are just a way to rip off naïve writers. You’re basically paying for (or pirating) a program to do what you can just as easily do as you go.

I suppose the day will come when Courier font is no longer used but imagine what Shakespeare could have done with Microsoft Word.

Writers today already have tools that were unimaginable to someone like Homer. Personally, I’m leery of the correlation between the technology and how creatively stifled many writers are today.

With Hollywood formulas and dying formatting, one day scripts may very well not even be written by humans anymore.

Me personally, I find the ancient style takes me back to an earlier time where I’m able to better get in touch with the full spectrum of the art. In return, my creativity is fueled. It’s like music. Whether you plug a guitar in or whether it’s a wooden box, it’s the same notes and the same progressions. Without creativity, it’s dead.

Alfred take a look at SCREENWRITING CLASS - FORUM / SPEAKING IN FINAL DRAFT by George Wilson. The discussion could be useful...

Helio

youre not going to find anything for free but the best value for your money is script wizard... its a microsoft word add on and is about $80 online. It just adds a new toolbar to word with things such as dialogue, action, transition etc. You can either click the tab or set up hot keys for each one. It formats perfectly and comes with a few other nifty features too. And to make it even better it runs all in word.
writersstore.com if you're interested. It's not free like you want but it's an awesome value for your money.

You can find them for free but some people don't know how to do some research before they ask dumb questions such as this.

And those same poeple tend to not know how many exclamation points are too many exclamation points.

I will give Final Draft to the first person that messages me.

I disagree. I own a copy of Final Draft and it's a very useful tool. However, I still write and format correctly in MS Word. Freeware programs like RoughDraft are perfectly useable too. If you format well, no producer will be able to tell from a printed script whether you used one of these extortionate programs.

Me too. I have FD6 and never write in it. Money lost!

I use Script Maker. Simple and easy Word template.

Kevan,

Are you a Chulies gum representative?


I'm sure only a few people are going to understand what that means, but anyway, I use Roughdraft for my scripts, and they look ok to me.  I'm sure FD and MM are ok too, just a little out of the budget at this point.

Quoted from Shelton Kevan, Are you a Chulies gum representative? I'm sure only a few people are going to understand what that means, but anyway, I use Roughdraft for my scripts, and they look ok to me.  I'm sure FD and MM are ok too, just a little out of the budget at this point.

Are you kiddingf?  I think its some kind of simply scripts law that you have to watch every kevin smith movie ever made.

Quoted from Kevan If you are interested in writing outlines to plan before you jump into writing a full screenplay then Darc Productions in the UK have released a program for this very purpose called movie outline and you can download a working demo from: http://www.movieoutline.com/index.html Kevan

What's the difference between this and a free program like treepad?

http://www.treepad.com/

Personally, I have found all of this very interesting.  I don't use anything aside from from plain old Word, but I am nevertheless curious about what is out there.  Especially seeing how George is quickly becoming "one of them".

Kevan, please don't mistake sarcasm from these guys (the norm) as any kind of personal attack.  It ain't.  You seem like a well-spoken guy with much to contribute.

As for the software...well...I guess I'll have to go win some now, won't I?

Quoted from Kevan It's so easy for those who despise Final Draft and Movie Magic to slag them off.. This is because they've never used it, don't know what it does, and couldn't care less. That's a shame, your narrow-view means your mssing out! Try submitting a screenplay printed from one of the freeware and shareware packages to an agent or professional reader and see what feedback you get.. Probably none, and it won't matter how good your story is.. Shame you've never tried using one of them though, you might then know what you're on about! But hey, you're entitled to your opinion and that's all it is!

I think it's the tone of your comments, the assumptions you make about writers here, and the fact that you sound like a TV commercial that has provoked this debate.

I'm not sure who your 'narrow-minded' comment is directed at, but I think you'll find most of the serious writers around here are fully aware of such screenwriting programs. If you intend to hang around, you'll realise there are a lot of young writers here who are just learning the basics and are therefore unable to afford (or justify) shelling out $200 dollars for Final Draft. These programs don't make you a better writer, they just make writing a more comfortable experience.

My point was that it is perfectly possible to correctly format a screenplay using a standard word processor. This was in response to your suggestion that writers using anything else won't receive feedback from agents/producers. I can tell you from experience that this is simply not true.

You seem like you're genuinely trying to help by putting some info out there so fair play to you. However, as you've seen, there are plenty of die-hard MS Word fanatics who will disagree with you.

'narrow minded' was a misquote of your 'narrow-view' comment. My bad. Reread my post with that in mind and tell me where I insulted you.

Quoted from Kevan Quick to act, slow to understand comes to mind...

I'm not looking for conflict. I just didn't see anything in this thread that justified your suggestion that people here are 'uninformed'.

Who is the moderador this? Andrew come on, man! We are here to play our best not to exchange "hostility nor aggression, just ideas!

Quoted from Martin I just didn't see anything in this thread that justified your suggestion that people here are 'uninformed'.

Umm....Martin...?

Quoted from bigwhoop PDF? what the hell r u talkning about? is there a way to make scripts without doing all the carp manually( im  mean like having to line up sluglines, speech names, etc etc)?

Haha, fair point. I must've had my bigwhoop blinkers on

Kevan, seriously, you misinterpreted my comments. I have nothing against you personally, I was just airing my views on screenwriting software and engaging in what I thought was a friendly debate.

As for 'quick to act, slow to understand.' If you knew me you'd realize I am the complete opposite. This stems from me being a lazy ass.

I don't use FD for spelling or to write my screenplays but for anyone who has tried it's not so easy to copy and paste it into FD afterwards without some drawbacks. I have to reformat the whole thing every single time because it places it to far to the left.

I'd mod this post but just trying to read through the whole thing was bad enough.

Whoa, now this just got out of hand, didn't it?

First, I want to clarify that when it comes to programs, I typically use whatever is available to me; I am not really a loyalist to anything. I have extensively read screenwriting books and such and could properly format a script on a typewriter. Why not? People have done it for years. Every single script I have posted on this site (which is 29 according to the search engine from the main site, although it is really 30) I wrote in word and most of those I converted to pdf for free using gohtm.com.

The only reason I even have a copy of Final Draft is because it was given to me. It is my personal opinion that while the program contains a host of useful tools, for basic screenwriting, it is not a necessity. I can't speak on the ease of use since I have not written a script on it yet. Thought I'd try it at some point, sure. I have already discovered the program doesn't know everything, and it takes some knowledge of screenwriting to use it, and if you want something out of the ordinary, you may still end up doing that manually.

But since I can't load up FD at work, where I do the majority of my writing, I am left with Word and my head knowledge. I don't think using one program over another makes anyone a better writer or formats your script better. The key is the story. If your story sucks in perfect format, no one will care. If you have something really compelling, and your dialogue is a half-inch too wide, again, no one will care.

One thing I've learned in all I've read is that screenwriting format is not a scientific process. The rules are not carved in stone, and it is unlikely someone will use a measuring tape to check your margins. The rules are guidelines to make scripts look mostly the same so they are easy to read for someone who reads them all the time. As long as your scripts look somewhere close to all the professional ones you can read online, you'll be ok.

If someone actually requests an email copy in Movie Magic, the hey, that's an advantage to making friends on these forums. I'm sure if one of us came on here and said "so-n-so wants this in Movie Magic, who has it?" Someone would be willing to zip it in and out. And if you are likable, they might even make sure the program correctly formatted what you sent before just saving it.

I do occasionally feel like people who think they NEED a program should probably get a book instead. I don't believe specialty programs are necessary for success. I have found that the programs have some features that are very useful, but the program is not the end all to writing a script. My opinion: if you want a screenwriting program just for format, get a book. If you want one to go beyond the writing experience, start saving your pennies and get one that is worth buying.

Quoted from Kevan It's so easy for those who despise Final Draft and Movie Magic to slag them off.. This is because they've never used it, don't know what it does, and couldn't care less. That's a shame, your narrow-view means your mssing out! Shame you've never tried using one of them though, you might then know what you're on about! But hey, you're entitled to your opinion and that's all it is! If you're an aspiring screenwriter who would like to acquire Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter then don't be put off by negative uninformed views which appear here. They don't know what they're talking about!

I take it I’m one of the shameful, narrow-viewed people you speak of.

The point I was trying to make was that these programs are tools for writers, not teachers. I believe (and yes, of course, it’s just my opinion) that one can benefit from learning the craft of writing before using these things.

I have no problem with these types of programs. And, quite frankly, anyone who would decide not to use one based solely on the opinion of someone who’s never used one is an idiot.

I used the expression “naïve writers.” In other words, if an experienced writer decides to use one of these programs then I would say, “he knows what he’s doing, he knows what he needs” and I would think nothing else of it. But it’s entirely too easy to convince a young inexperienced writer that he or she must have one of these programs.

I believe that it’s foolish for a new young writer to bother struggling with coming up with the money for one of these programs when they’re a) not necessary in the first place and b) not very valuable to someone who doesn’t understand screenwriting. That may make me narrow-viewed and that may very well be shameful but I stand by it.

Ultimately, these programs are valuable to whomever finds them valuable and it‘s inevitable that most writers will play with one or more of these programs anyway. I appreciate the information and experience you offer and who knows? Maybe I am missing out. I don’t feel like it but it’s possible. Isn’t it equally possible that people who use these products before they fully understand the craft of writing are missing out, also?

Breanne, you're mighty inspired lately. Well spoken.

Breanne reminds me of my English professor, who I love very much

Ya know, Microsoft Word is just as good as any of these programs.  Sure you have to tab to get the dialogue centered, but it's really not a big deal.  

Quoted from Breanne Mattson I used the expression “naïve writers.” In other words, if an experienced writer decides to use one of these programs then I would say, “he knows what he’s doing, he knows what he needs” and I would think nothing else of it. But it’s entirely too easy to convince a young inexperienced writer that he or she must have one of these programs.

Exactly.  An inexperienced writer using one of these programs is like telling time off digital clocks rather than learning how to read the 3 handed ones.  A screenwriter should know how to format, which is really what inexperienced writers should focus on before sharing their work with the world.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

I'm glad that everyone has settled down in time to celebrate the end of my finals. Yes, that's right, the end.  Lets dish out the ice cream and the party hats.

woah woah woah little campers

calm down everyone. of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion but let's not argue about it.

Some people enjoy using programs that do the formatting (like myself) and some don't. It's also a good learning tool.

So let's all take a breather. One the count of three.

One

Two

Three


WHEW. Now that's better. Let us focus on the point of this thread.

'I need a free scriptwriting program that looksnice'

A simple no can be answered. No need for argument about all of this.

Don't be  > be  

Quoted from Antemasque Don't be  > be

And suddenly, the sultry song stylings of Bobby McFerrin float across the forum... Here's a little song I wrote...you might want to sing it note for note, so don't worry...be happy...

Quoted from Antemasque WHEW. Now that's better. Let us focus on the point of this thread. 'I need a free scriptwriting program that looksnice'

Exactly!

We're all really missing the point here, since what started out as a question of "free" software has turned into a debate over MM and FD vs. Word, RD, whatever.

And unless the Salvation Army or Santa Claus is plannin' on leaving MM or FD on my doorstep, they ain't free, which is why I chimed in many posts ago, before the flood, with the RoughDraft suggestion.

I'm sure it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that the professional software packages have, but it does meet one important piece of criteria.  It's free!

I use it, it's alright, and I haven't received any horrible complaints over my formatting.

Now, my descriptions on the other hand.......

Honestly, I don’t see the big deal. There was a minor (yes, a minor) disagreement. We’re writers. Creating conflict and drama is what we do.

If every thread is restricted to only what’s specifically pertinent, then many of the posts on the discussion board would have to be removed. It’s never bothered me when threads get a little off subject but it’s apparently significant enough to some people to stop doing it.

Personally, I think debate is healthy. The more it escalates, the more it’s needed. People just need to learn to debate peaceably.

But if restricting posts so that they pertain only to the original post is what is wanted, fine. I’ll do that. I apologize for posting in this thread in the first place and, from now on, I’ll limit my posts to only the original subject of whatever thread. You can expect my number of posts to drop significantly but if that’s what it takes to keep things peaceful, so be it.

Quoted from Kevan Just a quick reply to say I must hold my hands up and come clean.. I decided to wind you all up on this thread just so you people would visit and get involved in the discussion..

Anybody else feel like they've just read the message board equivalent of "It was all just a dream."?


I'm going to shower.

You have the right to do your debates.
But it was all getting out of hand.
If we must debate, debate like professionals.

So be my guest and keep debating. I never said stop. But don't let things don't get too out of hand.

But you should also read the threads title and think is this debate right to go here? The answer to the question is nope.

I just don't understand what your personal feelings on script writing programs has to do with this guy getting a free one, I feel we've had this discussion before anyways in the correct forum called screenwriting class.

But hey like Andrew said go nuts, it's golden material like this that feeds the simply script fanfics.   Right Andrew.

This stuff will never go to bed unless Don kills it with his almighty delete button.

I could delete it but I have to do it post by post, takes forever but Don probably has a one click delete button for the entire thing.

We need less people needing them and more people doing research. I found many free programs when looking, I even found that one where you can answer questions and it tells you your idea which is kind of cool.

Cinergy Script Edititor is 100% free. It properly formats and paginates so you don't have to wory about manually setting tabs and whatnot. There are certain things that you can't do, certain parentheticals being one of them, but it does have O.S. and V.O. and you can use beats to break dialogue.

My first script The Ragman was written with the program. Good thing is, if you want to purchase the upgrades, they're fairly cheap.

Can anyone tell me where I can download a free example of a proper script outline, or an outline in general? I usually write without one and do it in my head as I go along, but I'd like to structure my next screenplay scene by scene so I have a basic idea of how I'd like it to flow.

Thanks.